The Smerconish Podcast

The war between Russia and Ukraine is top of mind today. Michael is asking you this Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Is achieving peace worth the cost if it means officially ceding Crimea and other Ukraine territory to Russia? Listen to Michael explain the issue and his 'yes' vote, then cast YOUR ballot at Smerconish.com, and please leave a rating and review of this podcast! The Daily Poll Questio...

Michael loves his Tesla. So listen to his take here on Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com today: Which is more likely: Tesla recovers its brand loyalty among progressives, or conservatives embrace electric vehicles (EVs)? Listen to Michael explain the issue and his 'yes' vote, then cast YOUR ballot at Smerconish.com, and please leave a rating and review of this podcast! The Daily Poll Questio...

Michael is joined by political analyst Mark Halperin for a whirlwind tour of the most pressing stories shaping Washington. From Donald Trump's surprise pivot on China and Jerome Powell that sent the markets into a tailspin, to RFK Jr.'s headline-grabbing move to phase out artificial food dyes, and JD Vance’s meteoric rise as perhaps the most influential VP in modern history—nothing is off limits....

The Supreme Court hearing oral arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor this week, where a group of parents want to be able to opt their children out of LGBTQ+ themed lessons in school, has Michael asking this poll question at Smerconish.com today: Should parents have the right to exempt their children from school materials that include LGBTQ+ themes? Listen to Michael explain the issue and his 'yes' vote,...

Also listen to Michael's commentary in Episode #1332, Bill Maher Mingled With Donald Trump, And That's Great from 14 April 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today's poll question at Smerconish.com asks: With birth rates declining in many developed nations, should governments adopt policies that actively encourage citizens to have more children? Listen to Michael lay it out, then cast YOUR ballot at Smerconish.com, and please leave a rating and review of this podcast! The Daily Poll Question is a thought-provoking query each day at Smerconish.com on a...

Michael talks with Dana Mattioli, technology investigations and enterprise reporter for the Wall Street Journal. She's written "The Tactics Elon Musk Uses to Manage His 'Legion' of Babies--and Their Mothers." Then, the audience weighs in on pronatalism. Original air date 21 April 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and us...

Michael opens this episode remembering Pope Francis, who passed today at the age of 88. In an insightful commentary, he weaves into today's poll question at Smerconish.com, which asks: Will Pete Hegseth's tenure as SecDef survive reports of a second Signal breach? Listen to Michael lay it out, then cast YOUR ballot at Smerconish.com, and please leave a rating and review of this podcast! The Daily...

The bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on April 19th, 1995 remains the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history. Michael reads from an email he received this morning from his friend Sara Sweet, who's father, W. Stephen Williams, was killed in the bombing. She hopes no one ever forgets this horrific day thirty years ago. Original air date 18 April...

Tensions between the United States and China are escalating. Michael learns from Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Admiral James Stavridis that while the two countries are duking it out over trade and tariffs, less-noticed concerns are taking place in cyberspace, near Taiwan, and at Chinese shipyards. Original air date 17 April 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.ads...

Religion can be a tricky subject...while it can bring a lot of good, it can also lead to conflict, and even war. Today being Good Friday, this brings us to today's poll question at Smerconish.com, which asks: Should we hope possible life forms on exoplanet K2-18b have religious beliefs? Listen to Michael lay it out, then cast YOUR ballot at Smerconish.com, and please leave a rating and review of t...

Michael hosts a compelling conversation centered around immigration, undocumented workers, and the everyday realities of hiring day laborers—sparked by a memorable and candid call from "Tom in Texas." This came after a conversation with Philip Bump at the Washington Post about how the story of Kilmar Abrego García - the Maryland man mistakenly deported to El Salvador after being arrested trying to...

Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com asks: Does Trump benefit politically from ALL of the following: 1) fighting Harvard, 2) not facilitating return of Abrego Garcia, and 3) reducing the IRS workforce? Yes or No - Listen to Michael lay it out, then cast YOUR ballot at Smerconish.com, and please leave a rating and review of this podcast! The Daily Poll Question is a thought-provoking query each...

2WAY Editor-in-Chief and Wide World of News Publisher Mark Halperin says we are at an odd moment in the three-side relationship between the Trump agenda, the establishment reaction to the Trump agenda, and the dominant media coverage of the Trump agenda. It is through that lens that he and Michael run through President Trump's recent policy moves, speeches, and more. Original air date 16 April 202...

Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com asks: Should federal funding be cut from universities like Harvard in response to perceived failures in addressing campus antisemitism? Michael's vote is No: Listen here to his explanation, then cast YOUR ballot at Smerconish.com, and please leave a rating and review of this podcast! The Daily Poll Question is a thought-provoking query each day at Smerconish...

London School of Economics Professor Irene Papanicolas joins Michael to discuss a study that finds wealthy Americans have similar death rates to poor Europeans. Listen to find out what explains this health-wealth disparity, and Michael's audience reaction to it. Original air date 15 April 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collecti...

Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com asks: Should the IRS audit taxpayers of all income levels with equal frequency to ensure fairness and transparency in the tax system? Listen here to Michael's take, then vote at Smerconish.com, and please leave a rating and review of this podcast! The Daily Poll Question is a thought-provoking query each day at Smerconish.com on a political, social, or other...

Michael dissects what we learned when Bill Maher talked about his meeting with President Trump nearly two weeks ago, he just spoke about it this past Friday on HBO/Max's "Real Time with Bill Maher." Michael references Sunday's daily smerconish.com poll question which asked, "Agree or disagree with Bill Maher: "A crazy person doesn't live in the White House. A person who plays a crazy person on TV...

Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com asks: Answer the question recently raised by RFK Jr.: “If you're smoking three packs of cigarettes a day, should you expect society to pay when you get sick?” Listen here to Michael's take, then vote at Smerconish.com, and please leave a rating and review of this podcast! The Daily Poll Question is a thought-provoking query each day at Smerconish.com on a po...

Lots of talk about trade and tariffs lately - but this conversation has a different focus than all the rest. Allysia Finley's op-ed in hte Wall Stret Journal caught Michael's eye this week: "A Good Man for U.S. Manufacturing Is Hard to Find." It circles back to the conversation about how young men's behaviors are changing due to a variety of social factors - and they are not taking these good payi...

Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com asks: Should humans pursue the de-extinction of species like the dire wolf? Listen here to Michael's take, then vote at Smerconish.com, and please leave a rating and review of this podcast! The Daily Poll Question is a thought-provoking query each day at Smerconish.com on a political, social, or other human interest issue. Entirely non-scientific, it always...

Michael welcomes Washington Examiner columnist Salena Zito on an Op-Ed she penned for The Washington Post, after being on the ground with U.S. Steel workers in PA. Original air date 10 April 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com asks: Setting aside criticism of Trump’s approach and style, do you believe his tariff policies will ultimately benefit the United States? Listen here to Michael's take, then vote at Smerconish.com, and please leave a rating and review of this podcast! The Daily Poll Question is a thought-provoking query each day at Smerconish.com on a political, social, or...

You will feel a heck of a lot smarter in 30 minutes after listening to this - Michael sure did! A great tutorial on what's happening with all these tariffs - including the most basic layers of how tariffs work, all the way to the possible deep effects on world economies and U.S. relations with other countries - from William Reinsch, senior adviser and Scholl Chair emeritus with the Economics Progr...

Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com asks: Which poses a greater challenge for America's future: young men's decreasing workforce participation or the decline in manufacturing jobs? Listen here to Michael's take, then vote at Smerconish.com, and please leave a rating and review of this podcast! The Daily Poll Question is a thought-provoking query each day at Smerconish.com on a political, socia...